


TfBK Art Dump

by Ajora Fravashi (ajora)



Series: Tales from Beta Kindergarten [5]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe, Art, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-21 20:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11365452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajora/pseuds/Ajora%20Fravashi
Summary: This is a dumping ground of character designs and concepts for my AU series.





	1. Preliminary Designs, Pre-fic publication

**Author's Note:**

> I've been leaving all my Beta AU sketches off my usual sketchdump collection, so here we are. 
> 
> This was a project I started in [October of 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/151967022603/ajora-this-carnelian-came-out-sideways-how) because I really wanted to try character designing from a base concept. It had since blown far out of proportion and turned into an alternate history AU. Because this project started before Stevenbomb 5 and months before we actually got to see other jaspers and Carnelian, there are some discrepancies. These have since been fixed in later designs.

[Initial Date: October 18, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/151984774493/okay-so-the-first-beta-quartz-is-a-carnelian-who)

Okay, so the first Beta quartz I designed is a carnelian, Wren. As her hole seemed to have one shoulder higher than the other, I drew her with a curved spine that, in the real world, is the defining trait of scoliosis. Also, I kept the quartz body type. She’s really not a fighter. Given the opportunity, she’d rather be making art or playing cheerleader to the real fighters, thanks. She also has a curious mind and would probably be the first Gem to figure out how to make flower crowns.

Now that we've seen an actual carnelian, her gem is wrong. It's in the right place, at least.

\---

[Initial Date: October 19, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/152039145063/heres-another-beta-quartz-she-is-tigers-eye)

Tiger’s Eye had a bit of a long drop upon exiting her hole. She’s smaller than our Amethyst, but didn’t spend the extra time in the ground that’s attributed to Amethyst’s size. Unfortunately, rush jobs also mean a big drop in production quality. Her gem shape is a domed cabochon, up until we see one in canon anyway. 

What she lacks in stature, she makes up for in courage and integrity. She might get ahead of herself in the rush to prove herself, though. She’s a bit afraid of heights and prefers to be on solid ground and not sonic-dashing everything, so she’s better as a solid defender than attacker. While she loves a good fight, she hates inter-group conflict. Also, she loves little rock lizards and might try to adopt one every now and then.

\---

[Initial Date: October 20, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/152075221203/and-here-are-the-citrine-sisters-from-left-to)

Citrine sisters! From left to right, they’re Primrose, Egret, and Citrine. I kept their gems similar to Amethyst’s because amethysts and citrines can sometimes occur in the same crystal, which is known as ametrine. Also, heat-treated amethysts are often passed off as citrines in the real world. Their colors vary a little, but not by much. 

When it came time for emergence, the Beta gems started wondering how this naming thing was going to work without a peridot around to issue their identification code. The practice ended up being that the first gem to emerge of that type would be _the_ Agate or Citrine or Carnelian and the others would take nicknames from their surroundings. Unless the first to emerge wanted a nickname herself, in which case the gem name would pass on to the next to emerge, and so on. That’s kind of what happened here: Egret emerged first, but the humans they dealt with started calling her Egret because of her neck. Because she liked being compared to a graceful water bird, the name Citrine was passed to the next in line. Primrose was named after the Yellow Desert Evening Primrose for her coloring.

Primrose is just really bright and happy and optimistic, but she does like a fair fight for the joy of it. If another gem is down, she’s the first to go up and try to cheer them up. Or, failing that, stick around to hug and be a shoulder to cry on. Because she’s one of the most empathetic gems, she’s the one who deals the most with humans. Her right leg is longer than her left, but it’s not really an issue and not as noticeable as Egret’s neck. 

Egret is often accompanied by Primrose and Wren when they deal with the nearby humans, though she is self-conscious about her neck sometimes. It’s not an issue in the Beta Kindergarten because everyone’s defective in some way (except Jasper), but the human children stare sometimes. She’s a very kind soul, though, and doesn’t hold it against them. Because the humans compare her to a bird, she has an affinity for them and patches up and rehabilitates birds with broken wings and legs when she comes across them.

Citrine is the serious one, and something of a worrywart. Whenever her sisters go to meet a new group of humans, she goes with them as their protector. Aside from Jasper, she’s probably the best fighter in the Kindergarten and one of few to materialize her own weapon, a mace (this has since been switched out for a warhammer). 

\---

[Initial Date: October 24, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/152255301143/todays-teleconferencelunch-doodle-is-a-mental)

This was a mental image that was gnawing at my brain since I started writing a Beta AU origin story. 

They’re both pretty old as far as Era 1 gems go. Peridot Facet-1F2 Cut-2AA is a good 75,000 years old, her green pearl has gone through several owners in her 28,000~ years and is tired of this crap by now. Given that newly-CG!Peridot says that "they can’t make gems like they used to" and that she seems to need limb enhancers to compensate, I'm running on the assumption that Era 1 peridots weren’t as short. 

Initially the pearl was supposed to just seduce e1!Peridot and backstab her, but... yeah, the characters wanted to do something else. In the end, I thought it better to listen to the characters rather than stick to the script, and I think the story is better for it.

\---

[Initial Date: October 28, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/152433265608/so-ive-been-really-busy-at-work-and-this-was-done)

Three jaspers! These were all designed before we saw other jaspers, and before we knew Jasper's pyramidal gem shape wasn't normal for her type.

Mouse is the gambler/risk-taker of the bunch. Generally she’s up for anything new and exciting (games especially), or even a quick tussle. It’s something of a personal goal to best Jasper _just once_ , but it hasn't happened yet. But hey, she's optimistic. So named because she was once dared to eat a mouse and refused, and ended up adopting it instead. (Mouse has since been changed into a citrine, and her gem moved to her chest.)

Paintbrush, who was actually named for the Desert Indian Paintbrush and is sometimes just "Paint", is an artist who gets way ahead of herself. A lot. She’s wearing Hokoham shell and turquoise jewelry. If the humans are coming up with new things, she’s definitely gonna adopt it because _aesthetics_. (You can still find her forays into basketmaking if you go far enough into the Kindergarten, which she’d gotten into when some humans taught her to weave.) (Her gem has since been moved to her left hand and rounded out.)

Sage is the reasonable one, in that she's usually the one to bring Paintbrush back to earth by questioning her logistics, or the one to talk others down from a fight. So named because she developed a fondness for gardening, and desert sage is her favorite plant. She sometimes dries it and weaves it into her hair because it smells nice. (Her gem has since been moved to her left shoulder and rounded out.)

\---

[Initial Date: October 31, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/152566497648/i-was-hesitant-on-posting-this-now-but-then-i-had)

Preliminary sketch of Jasper and the corrupted pearl, who had since been named Mother until she's able to speak for herself.

\---

[Initial Date: November 1, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/152612137018/oh-man-you-know-what-ill-go-back-to-designs)

"Get out of my hair, brat."  
"Nope. I made your tea, I get to play with your hair."

Jasper and her older sister Sage. Sage has absolutely no fear of Jasper, but that’s largely because of how close they are. And because Sage is faster with her spin-dash and knows exactly when and if to run. 

The injectors fell victim to one of Paint’s art projects.

(Since _That Will Be All_ , Sage's initial place as Jasper's second has been taken by Skinny. This is probably for the best, as it allows Sage to be more critical.)

\---

[Initial Date: November 16, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/153265112753/character-designs-for-a-couple-of-ocs-in-beta-au)

Morganite and her latest pearl. Morganite is the kind of person that thrives on war, and her only love is for the Diamonds. Anything else can be thrown aside or sold once it’s no longer useful to her. e1!Peridot keeps running afoul of her because the rebellion makes it more and more difficult to acquire supplies through official channels, and Morganite is a smuggler who made a name for herself with the Diamonds by infiltrating and then betraying an earlier attempt at rebellion on a White Diamond colony. 

(When we got Aquamarine, I considered changing her to a kunzite because morganites and aquamarines are beryls. However, Rebecca Sugar said that the one in the show was very young, which tells me that she's era 2 and likely subject to the same resource shortage as canon!Peridot. So, Morganite stays for now.)

\---

[Initial Date: November 28, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/153786031223/peridot-1f2x2aa-and-her-hand-me-down-pearl-for)

Peridot 1F2x2AA and her hand-me-down pearl. I'm not thrilled with how anime this came out, but it's close to their final designs. Boy did they run away from outline, and I'm glad they did.


	2. The Kindergarteners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I considered posting the Kindergarteners separately, but it felt wrong. So here they are together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get the Kindergarteners out of the way so I could bunch up the rest of the quartz doodles. Quartz doodles will follow later.

[Initial Date: December 27, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/155049340273/breaking-in-a-new-sketchbook-with-mists-corrupted)

Mist’s corrupted form and a baby Amethyst for size comparison. Not shown: absurdly tiny metal sculpting on the armlet.

\---

[Initial Date: January 4, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/155409381608/i-am-so-sorry-but-i-have-to-share-this)

I am so sorry but I have to share this. Kindergartener OCs reacting to "That Will Be All". Text:

Mist: Sweety! Look! Our children!  
e1!Peridot: …What?  
Mist: We made them, they’re our children!  
e1!Peridot: Kindergartens don’t work like that, love.  
Mist: Too bad. They’re all my daughters & all perfect.  
e1!Peridot: That skinny jasper alone has a dozen defects, but sure.  
Mist: **Perfect**.

And then Mist would insist on bringing the Earth gems back home right now immediately. 

\---

[Initial Date: January 13, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/155818874438/ladies-that-is-an-inappropriate-use-of-an)

At one point, once she realized that Homeworld was losing the fight and could no longer send resources to the Beta Kindergarten, Mist got the idea to gut one of the injectors and use it for shelter so she could watch the monsoons and not get wet (and of course e1!Peridot went along with it, because she can’t bring herself to deny Mist anything). Which led to filling it with blankets and other comfortable things and turning it into a nice snuggling place. She had plans in the event that the Crystal Gems won. She kept Beta secret from her contacts among the Crystal Gems and had planned to raise the Beta gems as free as she was. She’d neglected to inject an agate to rule them, and experimented with heat and pressure to create a stable quartz-beta (Jasper) in a matrix they don’t naturally occur in. Ultimately it didn’t matter that the laser guidance system for the injectors was damaged or that the holes were funny, because Pink Diamond was shattered and she fully expected Homeworld to leave and forget the Beta Kindergarten entirely. 

What she didn’t expect or plan for was corruption. 

\---

[Initial Date: February 1, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/156684176883/i-like-her-design-%E3%83%84-but-man-wow)

Because my Kindergartener OC has _opinions_ when it comes to Earth gems, this is her kneejerk reaction to Holly Blue's treatment of the famethyst.

Text:  
Mist: She’s been hurting my babies for 5000 years!  
Offscreen Beta quartz: Mom…  
Mist: Kill her!  
Offscreen: Mom, no

\---

[Initial Date: February 2, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/156731922593/beta-au-grief-im-sure-im-subconsciously)

Grief.

I’m sure I’m subconsciously referencing some famous classic piece of art, but consciously I’m drawing a blank. It’s just a concept doodle, really.

\---

[Initial Date: February 3, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/156768096058/quickie-lunch-doodle-because-of-reasons)

Quickie lunch doodle

\---

[Initial Date: February 6, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/156920512438/self-indulgent-bullshit-because-i-got-to-my-hotel)

These sketches were done after a really long drive, when I was all wired up in my hotel room. Because I was on a business trip, I couldn't scan and had to rely on cell phone photos.

\---

[Initial Date: February 24, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/157668685683/kindergarteners-%EF%BE%89-%E3%83%AE-%EF%BE%89%EF%BE%9F-an-era-1-peridot-and)

This was my first time painting in a really long time, so I’m not too thrilled with it. Pearl proportions are weird and the anatomy is just wonky anyway. Beta AU. Their story is mostly in Part 1; Parts 2-5/6 will revolve around the Beta gems learning to adapt to their human neighbors and vice versa. Teal deer self-indulgent crap behind cut.

Peridot Facet 1F2 Cut 2AA is an era 1 gem made on Blue Diamond’s first colony, and was around 75,000 years old by the time the rebellion began. She started life as idealistic, with inclinations towards invention and sculpture. But she wasn’t made for those things, and the years ground her down to the point where she keeps her artistic endeavors secret and destroys whatever she makes before anyone catches her. After a few thousand years as a general technician, she applied for and became a Kindergartener to have some sort of creative outlet. At first it was fine and she kept track of all the gems she made, but over the years she learned to stop feeling as more and more of them got shattered or bubbled or generally ran afoul of the higher-ups. In time she learned to stop keeping track of the gems she made entirely, because it was easier to handle that way. By the time of her 72nd millennia, she was the ideal little minion, a gear in the machine that knew its place in it and was too afraid to step out of it. In a political move, she was used as an example of a model citizen and rewarded with private quarters and her own (second-hand) pearl. She had never wanted a pearl and had no idea what to do with one, but she was determined to at least take care of her. 

Mist had been through three other mistresses in her 25,000 years by the time she was saved from harvesting and given to Peridot. She fully expected more of the same that she got from her prior mistresses, and was very surprised when she was treated like an apprentice instead. Peridot had no idea what to do with a pearl, after all, and generally disapproves of being disrespectful to anyone regardless of status. In time they got used to each other, and Mist learned much of Peridot’s trade from observation. Later, as the rebellion flared to life, she took the initiative to come into her own and ask to be taught. While Peridot taught her outright and encouraged her to learn and experiment on her own, Peridot willingly ignored that Mist was passing information to the Crystal Gems. This information hastened the end of the rebellion to five hundred years earlier than in the original timeline. (In the original timeline, Peridot would have drawn a line and removed Mist’s access from her sensitive correspondences to protect her.) Peridot’s unwillingness to treat Mist as a slave allowed her to build up her confidence, her association with the Crystal Gems allowed her to define herself beyond her role as a pearl. She loves the weather and named herself after her favorite phenomenon, a cloud inversion at the Grand Canyon shrouding the evergreen forests in mist.

They’re both old souls with a penchant for creativity and experimentation that was stifled by Homeworld’s rigid caste system, and the chaos of war allowed them to slip away to Beta Kindergarten. Their fusion, Jadeite, is a combination of Peridot’s caution and Mist’s careful optimism tempering their curiosity, and she stills Peridot’s anxiety with Mist’s faith. However, Jadeite only existed for a few short periods before they had to part ways after the war.

Various notes:

  * Peridot is Mist’s fourth owner. Four is the number of death in China and cultures influenced by China, and blah blah symbolic death of Mist’s existence as a slave blah. Upon return to Homeworld, Peridot filed the paperwork for Mist’s freedom.
  * While they’ve been together for about 3000 years, the romantic part of their relationship didn’t begin until about 100 years before the end of the war and well after Mist started advocating for herself. 
  * Not that gems actually know squat about flower language, but this is what the flowers on Mist’s barrette and armlet mean:
    * Barrette - fennel (strength), penciled geranium (ingenuity), willow (freedom)
    * Armlet - dodecatheon (you are my divinity), forget-me-not (true love), heliotrope (devotion)
  * Btw they’re in front of Jasper’s future hole, because Jasper is Mist’s brainchild and were she a peridot, Jasper would have gotten Mist her expert’s grade and certification as a Kindergartener.



\---

[Initial Date: March 27, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/158898104013/should-i-paint-this-i-dunno-i-need-to-practice)

The Kindergarteners snuggling under the moon at Tear Drop Arch in Monument Valley.

\---

[Initial Date: March 29, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/158977839318/please-pardon-a-little-self-indulgence-this-is)

Please pardon a little self-indulgence. This is Jadeite, Mist (a pearl) and an Era 1 Peridot's fusion, from a side-story in Beta AU. She doesn't really exist for very long, or for very often due to 75,000 years of baggage from one of her component gems. She is very excitable about geology ("this sandstone is so extensive and fine-grained that [the entire area must have been a sandsea for millions of years](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navajo_Sandstone)!" "oh my goodness the [entire lava flow is obsidian](https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/deschutes/recreation/rocks-minerals/?cid=stelprdb5381935)!"), which is generally what you get when you combine a couple of Kindergarteners. 

Jadeite doesn't have a weapon because neither of her component gems are fighters. She'll shy from contact with other gems and is perfectly happy to be alone, thank you. Though, had she been allowed to last longer than a few hours, she’d probably end up wandering off into the Grand Canyon for years just to study the strata.

\---

Initial Date: April 12, 2017

Terrified dinobirbs hide out in snug little holes up canyon walls where no one can find them.

Mist’s corrupted form is a cross between an archaeopteryx and a secretary bird.

\---

Initial Date: May 2, 2017

I just wanted to draw snuggles.

\--

[Initial Date: May 17, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/160781752538/beta-au-some-fluff-as-an-apology-for-the-dramu)

Yeah, sorry, this is kinda bad. Oh well.

\---

[Initial Date: June 7, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/161570057488/beta-au-experimenting-with-lazy-nezumi-thanks)

Experimenting with a new program. This only took me 3 hours! I’m not super thrilled with it, but it’s a start. Gem kisses are still a thing, right?


	3. The Kindergarteners, future flashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the Kindergarteners image spam. Spoiler warning may or may not apply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because these sketches involve things that may or may not involve future developments to the AU version of The Return/Jailbreak and beyond, I've sorted these out as spoilery. Just in case someone hates spoilers or something.

[Initial Date: December 13, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/154432768048/oh-hey-i-found-my-sketching-pencil-also-new)

e1!Peridot didn’t take ~~to grief~~ the revolution well. Text:

e1!Peridot: We are only here to check progress on the Cluster. You will not talk with the wildlife or go native*. Is that clear?  
canon!Peridot: Yes.  
e1!Peridot: This planet ruins everything.

(* Cue _Peace and Love on Planet Earth_ several months later.)

\---

[Initial Date: December 30, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/154728488928/one-last-doodle-before-i-go-home-a-villainous-era)

A villainous era 1!Peridot who knows well enough to be armed to the teeth when she comes back. Aside from the gun that’s a total Cosmo Dragoon rip-off and the gem destabilizer, she has a localized containment field emitter in her other hand and various tools in her belt.

\---

[Initial Date: January 19, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/156099312198/beta-au-so-youre-a-peridot-just-200-years-out)

So you’re a peridot just 2000 years out of the ground. Your Kindergartener had you tested and you turned out to be the brightest in your cut. You even made your general repair drones on your own, without guidance from a more experienced mechanic. And when she tells you that an Era 1 peridot is looking for an assistant for a major project for your Diamond, you’d jump at the opportunity, right?

And then that Era 1 peridot gives you _that_ look and maybe this wasn’t a great idea. 

\---

[Initial Date: April 5, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/159241940413/hahaha-no-shes-not-okay-for-a-thing-i-may-or)

Hahaha, no, she’s not okay.

For a thing I may or may not write because it’s 100% OCs and I just realized during planning that it was just _The Crow_ with less drugs and guns and more sci-fi elements and that the girlfriend isn’t actually dead.

I might still write it, though.

\---

[Initial Date: April 12, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/159504279713/i-cant-explain-you-would-not-understand-this-is)

A reunion scene, maybe. Someday. Not anytime soon, though. 


	4. Bunches of Quartzes, post-publication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quartz designs, December to July.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so here are the character designs post-fic publication.

[Initial Date: December 14, 2016](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/154476968038/beta-au-or-au-where-jasper-never-left-earth)

5000 years and Jasper refuses to join the Crystal Gems, but that doesn’t mean she won’t pay her respects when Rose becomes/gives her life for Steven.

Text:  
Greg: You’re the first gem I’ve met who’s good with kids.  
Jasper: Greg, I was married to a human for 40 years.

Discarded text:  
Jasper: Running away from responsibility again, Rose?  
Greg: That’s not–  
Jasper: I know what a baby is, Greg.

Don’t get her started about Rose because she’ll be venting all day.

\---

[Initial Date: January 30, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/156593968818/beta-au-sisters-amirite-its-not-sisterhood-if)

The anatomy sucks here, especially on Jasper. Sorry about that.

Text: “We just let her think she’s in charge because she likes to feel important.”

Spoilers: 

Twig (Skinny) now takes bits and pieces of Sage and Paintbrush’s roles, as she’s an actual canon character. She acts as Jasper’s second-in-command and back-up when there’s a need for unity, and generally teases her otherwise. She has an on-and-off thing with Amethyst sometimes, crafts weapons for those who can’t summon theirs, and is a horrible enabler of pranks. She’s also a horrible enabler of Rose’s “let’s hook up Jasper and Pearl :D” plans.

She’s just a horrible enabler in general, and would be right there with Amethyst sharing the popcorn whenever drama happens.

\---

[Initial Date: March 14, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/158409232743/beta-au-sentry-duty-has-got-to-be-one-of-the-most)

Sentry duty has got to be one of the most boring jobs in the world, especially in peacetime. Over the span of 5000 years a number of structures went up around Beta Kindergarten because immortal aliens get bored: a pit house for shelter during the monsoons, a watch tower (based on the [Desert View Watchtower](https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?id=F7EE8AD4-155D-451F-67B7B8E02C87AEC4) in the Grand Canyon), a general-use ballcourt/arena that’s in constant need of repairs, and a village that took its architectural cues from the neighbors. So here are Scouter and Twig (Skinny) on the watchtower, bored out of their minds. Scouter is so named because she has the best eyes in the lot, and Twig went through a dozen names before settling on her current one (she still gets called Skinny sometimes, though). They’re both good with archery and darts, which usually gets them roped into sentry duty. Off-duty, Scouter usually joins the ballgames and Twig goes tinkering with Carnelian (when she's not collecting humans). 

\---

[Initial Date: March 30, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/159011989103/quick-15-minute-doodle-on-3x5-post-it-note)

Having a helmet is great and all, but you can’t really sneak up on prey with it. Jasper’s [atlatl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spear-thrower) was a gift from a clan elder of a semi-nomadic people whose descendants would in time go on to build great [cliff](https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/cultural_diversity/Navajo_National_Monument.html)-[set](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montezuma_Castle_National_Monument) [villages](https://www.nps.gov/meve/learn/historyculture/cd_cliff_palace.htm) and [houses](https://www.nps.gov/hove/learn/historyculture/index.htm). Her cloak is a couple of plains bison hides stitched together. Not because she really needs it, but because who else can wrestle angry bison and win? Also, she just likes how it looks on her.

The dart point is injector alloy broken up, melted down, and poured into molds. This is actually just to show off; stone points serve just fine for everyday hunting. 

\---

[Initial Date: March 31, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/159048633233/updated-character-designs-for-aster-and-dandelion)

Updated character designs for [Aster and Dandelion](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/154521750608/beta-au-the-carnelian-is-aster-the-one-armed), carnelian and jasper wives. Dandelion formed without her left arm and has a severe case of wanderlust, and Aster's defect is total color-blindness. They left Beta Kindergarten as soon as they could to roam the continent, and along the way they pick up little beads or seeds from every band, tribe, or nation-state of humans they come across. The trinkets serve as a reminder of those people. Some get bundled up when bands unite, others get symbolically split when the nation-states collapse, and in that way they keep their own record of history. 

\---

[Initial Date: May 10, 2017](http://ajoraverse.tumblr.com/post/160528366288/i-have-not-been-up-to-doing-much-of-anything-a)

Stoneshaper is a tiger’s eye who specializes in lithic technology manufacturing, and is especially skilled in [prismatic blades](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prismatic_blade) and [eccentricities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eccentric_flint_\(archaeology\)). She’ll also cut stones for masonry, and she prefers the challenge of [drystone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_stone) over mortared construction. Generally she’s pretty laid back, but she’s also one of those types who loves to show you this thing they’re working on and it’s gonna be _amazing_ when it’s finished!

Sage is actually a lot smaller than her, and would come up to Stoneshaper’s elbow. Or, well, Jasper’s knee. Tiniest jasper is really tiny. When I first designed her, there hadn’t been other jaspers to use as reference. So, new design: gem moved from nose to left shoulder and rounded out, change in markings. She’s still the grounded, reasonable one, but her role as Jasper’s second has been taken up by Twig/Skinny. But then, not having that high a place in village hierarchy does give her the chance to be more critical. She’s just about done with gambling, shenanigans, and anyone _trying to eat her garden_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I kinda stalled towards the end because of real life things, depression, and discouragement. So there aren't as many doodles as I'd intended.

**Author's Note:**

> There are a bunch more doodles, so if you're interested, stay tuned.


End file.
